Mail-bag receiving and delivering mechanism.



B. F. NICOLL.

MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION TILED OUT. 21, 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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B. F. NIGOLL.

MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 21, 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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WITNESSES 11.1 NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHOTU-LITHOY. WASHINGTON. 1)v c.

B. F. NIOOLL.

MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 001121, 1913.

1,1 33,998. Patented Mar. 30, 1915 4 SHEETS SHEET 3.

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B. F. NICOLL. MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1913.

1, 1 33,998. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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MAIL-BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3% 1915.

Application filed. October 21, 1913. Serial No. 796,440.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. NIcoLL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Receiving and Delivering Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism, consisting of automatic means for handling mail bags and more particularly in certain specific improvements upon Patent No. 1,027,883 issued to me and allowed January 2, 1912.

The primary object of the invention is not only to facilitate the delivering of mail with speed and dispatch to and from trains running at a high rate of speed past stations where no stop is scheduled, and posts and other points along the line of route, but to increase the durability, efficiency and capacity of such devices, whereby large quantities of mail may be handled in compliance with certain governmental requirements with the idea of producing a standard device.

l/Vith reference to the patent above mentioned, the invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of the automatic hooks for receiving and delivering the mail bags, to provide improved mountings for said hooks to permit them to swing into operative and inoperative positions for the purpose of receiving and delivering the mail bags, as well as to permit the same to move into inoperative position and out of the path of the adjacent bags after having been operated, means being also provided by which the hooks may support a plurality of bags in position to be caught up or taken up by the hooks carried by the opposed supports of the car and posts along the track, respectively.

A further object of the invention is to improve the manner of limiting the movements of the hooks to horizontal and vertical positions when in operative positions for receiving or delivering the mail or when in inoperative position after having received the mail, and to be swung out of alinement due to the impact in receiving or delivering such mail.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides more particularly in the peculiar combination and arrangement of parts which will be illustrated as a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism viewed in the direction inwhich the train is traveling; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with the hooks illustrated in broken lines in inoperative positions; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the upper part of a fixed support or post alongside of a track, a. fragmentary portion of a hook being shown; Fig. l is a front elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 8, but with the hook and outer securing nut removed; Fig. 5 is an inside elevation of a portion of the hook shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower arm of the roadside device with means for supporting the bags, the same being shown in dotted lines in a collapsed position; Fig. 7 is an edge elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view through a fragmentary portion of the car and frame of the door opening, showing the manner of supporting the device upon the car, the staff of said latter device being shown in section, a fragmentary portion of the hook being also shown; Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the base plate for supporting the staff holding block; Fig. 11 is a similar view of the staff holding block for engaging the base plate; Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the main part of one of the automatic hooks; Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of the latching portion of one of the automatic hooks; Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view of one of the fingers and retaining springs carried thereby for engagement by the rings of the mail bags for retaining the latter in upright position; Fig. 15 is a plan view of one of the hooks in position after having received the mail bag and previous to its movement to an inoperative position; and Fig. 16 is a detail sectional view on the line 1616 of Fig. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of my improved mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism, the numeral 1 indicates a post or other suitable fixed part mounted along the roadside, preferably provided with an enlarged base 2, while a platform 3 is supported by the post and may be mounted by means of a ladder or steps 4 for obtaining access to the mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism carried by the post. Pivotally secured to the platform 3, as shown at 5, is a curved arm 6, the same being'extended upwardly and outwardly and being attached to a bearing bracket 7 carried by the platform, which is in turn provided with an upward projection 8 forming a shoulder or stop against which the arm 6 is limited in its upward movement so as to extend horizontally outward. This arm 6 is bifurcated at its free end to support the lower arm of the roadside device, which consists of spaced parallel bars 9 and 10 pivotally connected by spaced parallel links 11 secured to the bars adjacent the ends thereof. The bar 10is in turn provided with a series of projections 12 to the bifurcated ends of Which the reduced ends of a series of fingers 13 are pivoted as shown at 14, such projections 12 being equi-distantly spaced apart and designed to permit the fingers 13 to be turned independently in either direction, depending upon the direction of travel of the train, in delivering the mail bags.

The mail bags are indicated by the numerals 15 and 16, respectively, and in order to attach the bags 15 to the fingers 13 the upper and lower ends of the bags are pro vided with rings 17 and each finger has secured thereto, as by means of a retaining eye 18 formed at the lower end of each pivot 14, a spring 19 between which and each finger a space for receiving a grasping ring 17 of the mail bags is provided, while the free ends of the springs come in close contact with the extremities of the fingers so that the bags are retained therein and permitted to be released or discharged from between the same. The opposite ends of the springs 19 extend inwardly and engage notched projections 20 formed at adjacent sides of the projections 12, the purpose of this being to prevent independent pivotal movement of the springs relative to the fingers.

The upper end of each post 1 is reduced at two points to provide a cylindrical head 21 above and below which are provided sup porting shoulders 22 upon which supporting rings 23 are rotatably mounted within opposed anti-friction bearings, preferably in the form of ball bearings 24', and each ring is provided with an extension 25 having a rectilinear face portion to each of which a plate 26 is bolted at spaced points, as shown at 27. The upper and lower edges of each extension 25- are provided with grooves or are rabbeted as shown at 28 to receive corresponding projecting portions of the plates 26, and each plate terminates in a spindle 29 upon which the mail bag or erably mounted on the plunger between the extension and the head and designed to cause the plunger to forcibly engage a projection so as to hold the rings and parts carried thereby against turning on the post, at right angles to the direction of travel of the train 3 or at either side of the post at right angles to said last-named position, when the parts are in operative or inoperative positions, respectively.

The post 1 is designed to support .a signal lamp 37 on itsupper end, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, such lamp being retained in position in any suitable way, such as is illustrated in Patent #1,027,883 above noted.

The hook 30 as illustrated comprises the I sleeve portion 38 by which it is mounted onv the spindle 29, such sleeve portion being disposed centrally of the straight edge of a pair of upper and lower frames 39 which are of substantially semi-circular form in plan and which are braced intermediately as shown at 40 to give the same added strength. The receiving pocket of the hook islformed by outwardly curved extensions 41, the pocket 42 thus formed being somewhat elongated to accommodate a plurality of mail bags or pouches. Intermediate the ends of the extensionsAl-l and projecting therefrom at their outer while the ends of the extensions are provided with enlargements 44 which are apertured and further formed with inwardly facing shoulders 45. The other section of the hook curved and provide ears 47 designed to suspending bar 48 consists of an angular latching, section 46, the longer arm of which is edges are eyes 43, V

projections and bag engaging fingers as is...

provided in connection with the lower arm or element of the roadside device so as to support the bags 15 vertically between the same in the manner shown in Figs. land 2 of the drawings. vided with spaced apertured ears 50 also pivotally attached to the bar 48, the points of attachment of the ears 47 and 50 being indicated by the numeral 51. At lar portion of the latch top and cesses 52 are provided, such recesses conforming in shape to the shape of the en- The short arm 49 is prothe angubottom relargements 44 so as to pivotally receive the latter and limit the pivotal movements of the angular latch against the shoulders 53 by engagement of the shoulders 45 formed by projections of the enlargements 44 there-- against. The parts at this point are pivotally connected as shown at 54 and the angular latch is provided with an apertured extension 55 to which a pairof links 56 are pivotally connected, the links in turn having a trigger 57 pivoted between their free ends and in turn pivoted to the apertured projections 43 as shown at 58, so that the trigger will extend across the pocket of the hook and between the spaced frames forming the latter. This is the position of the hook when adapted to receive the bags, and in order to retain the hook in horizontal position for this purpose a spring-pressed plunger 59 is mounted in the sleeve portion of the hook and designed to project from the inner face thereof to engage in either of two diametrically opposed recesses 60 formed in the adjacent face of the plate 26. The hook is also limited in its movement to a vertical position when turning at either side due to the impact in receiving and delivering the bags, and for this purpose the plate 26 is provided at diametrically opposed points adjacent to the recesses 60 with shoulders 61. formed at the ends of tapered projections 62. These shoulders are designed to be engaged by shoulders 68 formed at diametrically opposed points upon the sleeve portion 38 at right angles to the point of location of the spring-pressed plunger 59 and at the ends of the tapered projections 64: integral with said sleeve portion 38, it being observed that such projections 6'2 and 64 extend practically one-quarter of the distance around the plate 26 and the sleeve portion 38 respectively, so as to permit the parts to withstand a greater impact than if the shoulders were simply formed as projections of said parts, in the form of pins or r the like.

In order to increase the capacity of the receiving and delivering devices by more rigidly supporting the hooks, and especially the hook 30 carried by the post or fixed support at the side of the track, a rail 65 in the form of a circular trackway is mounted around the post immediately below the lower ring, being supported by a plurality of angular brackets 66, while the extension of the lower ring has secured thereto a pair of depending V-shaped bearing brackets 67 in which a pulley 68 having a grooved periphery is rotatably journaled at the lower ends of the bearing brackets to bear upon the rail and to sustain the weight of the hook and bags carried thereby, while the hook is stationary or while the same is turned after receiving or delivering the bags, or both, when the hook by reason of its supporting rings will be turned at right angles to its operative position for such receiving or delivering action. During this operation the enlarged head of the plunger 35 is disengaged from the projections and will engage with corresponding projections at the sides of the head of the post, depending upon the position or direction in which the hook is swung. This is due to the fact that the hook is capable of limited rotation for operation in connection with trains traveling in either direction.

The cooperative mechanism carried by the mail car of the train consists of a base plate 69 which is secured to the car 70 and to the frame 71 at one side of the doorway, by means of a bracket 72, the plate as shown consisting of acasting having opposed grooves 73 formed by inwardly directed front portions also provided at points intermediately of their upper and lower ends with recesses 7d and with a bottom portion 75 designed to sustain the weight of the device carried by the car, as will be hereinafter explained. The plate 69 is secured to the bracket 72 by bolts or the like, as shown at 76, so as to rigidly secure the plate in position to project slightly outwardly of the side of the car and to project inwardly as far as the door frame 71. Mounted in the grooved plate 69 is a staff holding block 77 which is provided with vertical grooves 78 in its opposite side walls communicating with the exterior faces thereof to provide oppositely directed tongues 79 designed to engage the grooves in the plate 69 and also to engage the recesses 74: in the inwardly directed portions of the sides of said plate 69, the bottom wall 75 serving to support the staff holding block '77 when the latter is in position.

The staff holding block essentially comprises an upper wall 80 and a lower wall 81 reinforced by ribs 82, such walls having vertically alined apertures rotatably receiving the lower end of a staff 82, the stalf being enlarged where engaged through the wall 80 and having a reduced portion on- L aged in the wall 81 but being squared as shown at 8% between said walls. The upper end of the staff 83 is journaled in an open bearing 85 and is further supported by a strap bearing 86 at a spaced point there-below so that the staff overlies the doorway at one side. Fixed to the squared portion 84: of the staff is a bearing support 87 having its outer end provided with a reduced spindle portion 88, inwardly of which is provided a flange or collar 89, between which and the collar 90 removably retained in the end of the spindle by means of a screw 91, the sleeve portion of a hook 93 is rotatably mounted. It will. be observed that the supporting block 77 at its rear portion is cut away to accommodate the securing bolts 76, and that its lower wall projects beyond the upper wall, such lower wall also having a projecting portion 9 1 forming a shoulder or platform upon which the sleeve portion of the hook 93 may turn as it is swung with the staff by its fixed connection or butt 87. The sleeve portion is provided with a flattened face 95 to rest upon the platform and in so doing tends to hold the hook against turning when in a horizontal position.

The end wall 96 between the top and bottom walls 80 and 81 is eccentric to the staff which forms the pivot for the bearing sup port or fixed connection 87, and the point of least eccentricity is midway between the ends of said wall, whereby a brake shoe 97 carried by a plunger 98 operable in a recess 99 in the inner end of the fixed connection or bearing support 87 will operate as a brake to hold the hook at right angles to the direction of travel of the train. This is duo to the fact that a coiled spring 100 is mounted upon the plunger within the recess and tends to normally force the brake shoe outwardrelative to the end wall of the recess so that when the shoe approaches the point of least eccentricity of the wall 96 a cushioning or brake-like action will take place, it being understood that the staff will be correspondingly turned with the hook and connection and between the two.

The hook 93 is of the same construction as the hook 30 heretoforedescribed as being carried by the post, the angular portion of thehook or latch thereof having the usual finger carrying bar, which in this instance is engaged by the rings 17 at the lower ends of the bags 16 instead of by the rings 17 at the upper ends of the bags 15, as in the previous instance. In order to operate the hook 93 so as to cause it to be moved into vertical or horizontal positions as when in inoperative or operative positions, and in the latter for delivering and receiving the mail bags from and into the fingers and pocket thereof respectively, and for holding the hook in either of said positions, a loop strap 101 is secured to the staff 83 a short distance above the supporting lock 77 and has one end provided with an apertured portion 102 and its opposite end provided with a reduced extension 103 having a tapered recess 10 1. A lever 105 is pivoted to the end portion 102 and has its lower arm of the lever connected by a flexible connection or chain 106 to the hook near the bight portion of the latter and to one side of the pivotal point of the hook, whereby the hook may be turned upon the lever being thrown upon its pivot so as to move the hook lock the hook in this position the other arm 107 of the lever is offset and terminates in a hook enlargement 108 which, when the lever is swung to a horizontal position with the end forming the longer to a horizontal position. In order to arm 105 elevated, will engage the recess 104 and be held against displacement in this position, whereby the bags may be loaded or fixed on to the fingers carried by the bar movably supported by the hook.

The strap bearing 86 is held in a grooved plate 109 fixed to the car whereby the strap is removable in the same manner in which the block 77' is supported by the plate 69, thus enabling the staff to support considerable additional weight.. The hook at the upper part of the staff for increasing the capacity of the device lever 110 pivotally secured to the staff 83, while an arm 111 is pivoted through the instrumentality of a sleeve portion 112 to the staff beneath said bell crank lever and is supported upon an enlargement or shoulder 113 formed below the squared portion to which the sleeve 112 is fixed to swing with the staff and simultaneously with the rotation of the staff and lower hook. To one arm of the bell crank lever 110 a curved link 114 is pivoted, shown at 115, the link being curved adjacent to said pivot point and bent, then extended rectilinearly where it is in turn pivotally connected as shown at 116 to a link 117 pivoted as shown at 118 to the free end of the arm 111. This link at its free end, in conjunction with a link 119.

which'is pivotally connected 'as shown at 120 to the free end of the curved link 11 1, serves for the pivotal attachment of a bag holding and discharging bar 121 having the usual fingers and springs cooperating therewith for engaging the rings carried by the upper ends of the bags or pouches 16. Thus it will be seen that the bags or pouches carried by the mail ear will be held in such position as to enter the pocket of the receiving hook carried by the post or fixed sup port of the roadside device, and the mail bags or pouches carried by the roadside device will be in position to enter the pocket of the hook carried by the mail car at the lower portion of the stafi, thus permitting the simultaneous receiving and delivering of the mail bags whenever a train passes.

It will be observed that the particular curvature of the link 114 controls the operation of the upper arm 111 so that said parts carried by the upper end of the staif permit the mechanismto shift into the doorway in a collapsed condition, while the link 119 affords a connection for the bag carrying bar 121. These parts may be folded into the doorway or at right angles to the length of the car when the bags are being loaded thereon in a partially folded condition, or outwardly of gles to the length thereof when in position to discharge the bags. The bell crank lever 110, of course, serves to'shift the parts 111 and 114 in the relative positions mentioned, the arm 111 rotating with the stafl 83 comprises a'bell crank' the car at right anwhile the curved link 114- is shifted a greater distance by reason of its connection with the free end of one arm of the bell crank lever so that owing to the fact that the parts are not completely folded when disposed within the car, any tendency to bind, as for moving beyond a dead center, when the bags are loaded thereon, is prevented. llt is further apparent that the roadside device is made to disappear after the receipt and delivery of the mail bags, the lower arm 6 which is limited in its upward movement by the shoulder or stop 8, simply swinging downward, while the hook after receiving the bags in its pocket will, due to the impact caused by such delivery, result in the disengagement of the springpressed plunger 59 from one of the recesses 60 so that the hook will turn by gravity and be limited in its rotation to a vertical position by the shoulders 61 and 63. It will also be apparent that inasmuch as the bars carrying the fingers for engagement by the rings of the bags are pivotally connected by means of links to their supporting parts, said parts may be disposed in vertical alinement and positioned at such distance from the car and fixed support or post of the mail car and roadside device, that the bags will be properly taken up within the respective pockets of the hooks without undue friction and without being missed. The enlarged formation or the flaring of the mouth portions of the hooks also assists in the free engagement of the hooks with the bags which, after the latter have passed into the pockets to abut the triggers 57, will trip the angular latches so as to swing the same to the position shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings when the bag holding bar will have been relieved of its bags and disposed at right angles to the length of the hook, the impact in turn shifting the hooks to the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings or at right angles to the receiving and discharging positions indicated in full lines in said figure. The manner of supporting the hooks of the devices carried by the car and post respectively, also permits considerable increase in the capacity of said devices for receiving and discharging a plu rality of bags or pouches, while permitting the reception and discharge of a single bag with equal facility and convenience. In causing the hooks to turn at right angles to their operative positions, it is to be understood that the hooks are weighted at their sides coincident with the bight portions of the hooks, and as this side in each instance is the pocket or receiving side, the weight of the bags will also additionally serve to swing the hooks to vertical positions.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it

will be seen that I have considerably improved the structure and method of operation of the mechanism for assisting in the receiving and delivering of mail bags or pouches without necessitating the trains stopping at certain stations or even slowing down, and it will be further obvious that various modifications in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism, comprising a member having an elongated pocket formed to accommodate a plurality of bags and designed to swing around a pivot, an angular member pivoted in the outer end of said swinging member and designed to support bag engaging devices, and a trigger pivoted to said member and movable into the path of the pocket, said trigger having a connection with the arm to cause the latter to swing into the path of the pocket by engagement of the bags therewith. 2. A mail delivery mechanism, comprising a pivotal support, an automatic hook carried thereby to swing at either side, said hook embodying a substantially semi-circular part having an extension providing a pocket having a flared mouth portion, an angular member pivoted in the free end of said extension, a bar carried by the arms of said angular member, bag engaging fingers pivotally carried by said bar, and a trigger pivoted to the extension and operatively connected to the angular member to cause the latter to swing inwardly at right angles to the extent of the hook by the impact of bags there-against.

3. A mail delivery mechanism, comprising a pivotal support, an automatic hook carried thereby to swing at either side, said hook embodying a substantially semi-circular part having an extension providing an elongated pocket having a flared mouth portion, an angular member pivoted in the free end of said extension, a bar carried by the arms of said angular member, bag engaging fingers pivotally carried by said bar, and a trigger pivoted to the extension and operatively connected to the angular member to cause the latter to swing inwardly at right angles to the extent of the hook by the impact of bags there-against.

4. A mail delivery mechanism, comprising a pivotal support, an automatic hook carried thereby to swing at either side, said hook embodying a substantially semi-circular part having an extension providing an elongated pocket having a flared mouth portion, an angular member pivoted in the free end of said extension, a bar carried by the arms of said angular member, bag enand a trigger pivoted to the extension and operatively connected to the angular mem- V spaced projections, fingers her to cause the latter to swing inwardly at right angles tothe extent of the hook by the impact of bags there-against, said bar also swinging at right angles to the extent of the hook after having been relieved of the bags carried by the fingers.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a vertical support; of an element rotatably carried thereby to swing in an arc of 90, a hook pivotally carried by said element to move to a horizontal or vertical position when in operative or inoperative position, a bar pivotally carried by the hook and having a plurality of carried by said projections, springs carried by and cooperating with said fingers, a similar bar sup ported in spaced relation and in vertical alinement with the first-named bar and'provided with similar fingers and springs, and mail bags having rings engageable with said fingers, whereby the mail bags may be supported in vertical positions to be taken up by a hook of an opposed support or train,

' thereby effecting the receiving and delivering of the bags. 7 v

6. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a vertical support; of an element rotatably carried thereby to swing in an arc of 90, a hook pivotally carried by said element to move to a horizontal or vertical position when in operative or inoperative position, a bar pivotally carried by the hook and having a plurality of spaced projections, fingers carried by said projections, springs carried by and cooperating with said fingers, a similar bar supported in spaced relation and in vertical alinement with the first-named bar and pro vided with similar fingers and springs, mail bags having rings engageable with said fingers, and a trigger pivoted to the hook and connected to the bar ber, whereby the impact of the bags engaging the hook will cause said bar to swing to an inoperative position at right angles to the horizontal extent of the hook, said hook also swinging to a vertical position.

7. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a vertical support; of an element rotatably carried thereby to swing in an'arc of 90, a hook pivotally carried by said element to move to a horizontal or vertical position when in operative or inoperative position, a bar pivotally carried by the, hook and having a plurality of spaced projections, fingers carried by said projections, springs carried by and cooperating with said fingers, a similar bar supported in spaced relation and in vertical alinement withthefirst-named bar and supporting memprovided with similar fingers and springs, mail bags having rings engageable with said fingers, a trigger pivoted to the hook and connected to the bar supporting member, whereby the impact of the bags engaging the hook will cause said bar to swing to an inoperative position at right angles to the horizontal extent of the hook, said hook also swinging to a vertical position, and means carried by said vertical support for holding the hook in the horizontal position to be loaded. 0 r

8. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a vertical support; of

an element rotatably carried thereby to swing in an arc of 90, a hook pivotally carried by said element to move in a horizontal or vertical position when in operative or inoperative position, a bar pivotally carried by the hook and having a plurality of spaced projections, fingers carried by said projections, springs carried by and cooperating with said fingers, a similar bar supported in spaced relation and in vertical alinement with the firstnamed bar. and provided with similar fingers and springs, mail bags having rings engageable with said fingers, a trigger pivoted to thehook and connected to the bar supporting member,

whereby the impact of the bags engaging the hook will cause said bar to swing to an inoperative position at right angles to the horizontal extent of the hook, said hook also tioned in spaced relation to said first-named parts, a bar carried by said member, and a plurality of bag engaging devices carried by said bar, th adapted to, catch multaneously.

10. The combination with a and deliver the bags siin its outward movement, a link bar pivoted to said arm, said bar having a plurality of projections, bag engaging devices pivotally bag engaging devices V swinging to a vertical position, and means 7 e opposed devices being vertical support; of an arm pivoted thereto and limited carried by said projections, a mail bag receiving and holding member positioned'in spaced relation to said first-named parts, mechanism associated with said memberto form a flared mouth portion'therefor and adapted to close said mouth portion upon the reception of the bags, a bar pivotally carried by said mechanism, said bar having spaced projections, pivotal bag engaging devices carried by said projections and cooperating with the aforesaid bag engaging devices to hold said bags in a vertical position there-between and means associated with a car for holding a plurality of bags to be caught by said receiving mechanism and catching the bags carried by said bag engaging devices.

11. Mail bag delivering mechanism, comprising a supporting hook mounted to swing on a pivot and constituting a mail bag receiving member, said hook comprising a pair or pivotally connected sections, a link connected to the outer end of one of said sections and having a curved portion indirectly connected to the pivot, and bag supporting members carried by said sections and adapted through the instrumentality of the curved link to cause said parts to be opened when swung outward, to collapse when swung at right angles thereto and to partially open when swung at right angles to the last named position.

11. Mail bag delivering mechanism, comprising a supporting hook mounted to swing on a pivot and provided to receive mail bags, said hook comprising a pair of pivotally connected sections, a link connected to the outer end of one of said sections and having a curved portion indirectly connected to the pivot, a bar pivotally connected to one of said sections, a link connecting said bar to the other of said sections, said curved link also pivotally connected to the first named section, and a plurality of spaced bag engaging devices carried by said bar, said Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the parts being adapted for pivotal movement in an arc of 180.

13. Mail bag delivering mechanism, com prising a mail bag receiving and supporting hook mounted to swing on a pivot, said hook comprising a pair of pivotally connected sections, a link connected to the outer end of one of said sections and having a curved portion indirectly connected to the pivot, a bar pivotally connected to one of said sections, a link connecting said bar to the other of said sections, said curved link also pivotally connected to the first named section, and a plurality of spaced bag engaging devices carried by said bar.

let. The combination with a mail bag re ceiving hook mounted upon a vertical support for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane and for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, said hook having an elongated pocket accommodating aplurality of bags, a bar carried by said hook and having a plu- 'ality of devices adapted to support a plurality of bags thereon and a second bar fixed to said support for similar movement, said second named bar also having a plurality of bag engaging devices whereby two opposed hooks and bars will simultaneously receive and deliver a plurality of bags successively.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN NICOLL.

Witnesses:

M. A. JENKINS, F. N. MILLER.

Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. 0. 

